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E-CONTENT
Batch- 2016
EDU-E 104: EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE
AND EDUCATION
Prepared By
Dr. Mohammad Sayid Bhat
Assistant Professor,
Department of Education,
Central University of Kashmir
Syllabus
UNIT I: CONCEPT AND METHODS
Concept of Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE)
Aims and Objectives of ECCE
Need, Importance and Scope of ECCE
Early Childhood Education Movement in India: Pre-
Independence & Post- Independence Initiatives; Methods
employed for child study: Observation, Case Study, Cross-
sectional & Longitudinal Methods
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EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND EDUCATION
Early Childhood Care and Education term has been used to refer to group settings for
children approximately between three to five years of age which are deliberately designed
to stimulate and support their physical, mental, emotional, language, social development
etc. It has been called by the psychologists, educationists and policy-makers by variety of
names such as nursery school education, kindergarten education, pre-primary education
etc., and the group settings in which Early Childhood Care and Education is provided to
children are known by variety of names such as nursery school, kindergarten schools, Shishu
Vihar, Sishu Vatikas. These settings are specially designed to provide care, supervision,
stimulation and education to preschool children outside their homes. These settings are
included under the general term entitled ‘Early Childhood Care and Education’ quite valid
and have in common the fact that they serve children before entry into primary schools.
NEED AND IMPORTANCE
Early Childhood Care and Education is in a state of ferment today. The education of
the preschool children has never assumed greater importance in the eyes of the general
public. Projects and other programmes for preschool children initiated by the government
and by the private bodies have put a measure of urgency upon the extension of the
educational opportunities for the young children. National Policy on Education 1986 has
taken the lead in suggesting that all children benefit from education in the early years.
Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) has assumed special significance in the
National Policy on Education, 1986. It has rightly mentioned that the National Policy on
Children (1974) specially emphasized investment in the development of the young children,
particularly children from sections of the population in which first generation learners
predominate. Child development has been taken in a holistic view recognizing all the
aspects like nutrition, health, social, mental, physical, moral and emotional development.
ECCE has received high priority and been properly integrated with the Integrated Child
Development Services Programme (ICDS) as far as possible. Day care Centres, as suggested
by the NPE 1986, would be provided as a support service for universalisation of primary
education, to enable girls engaged in taking care of siblings to attend school and as a
support service for working mothers belonging to poor sections of our society.
The NPE 1986, has recommended that programme of ECCE would be child centred,
focused around play and the individuality of the child. Formal methods and introduction of
the 3R’s would be discouraged at this stage. The local community would be fully involved in
these programmes. A full integration of child care and pre- primary education would be
brought about, both as a feeder and as a strengthening factor for primary education and the
human resource development in general. With a view to implementing the NPE 1986, the
Programme of Action has work out the ways and means and also discussed the significant
parameters of the quality of life which are correlated with ECCE. These are infant mortality
rate, incidence of malnutrition, the morbidity, and the literacy rates. These parameters
show ugly state of affairs in the field of child development.
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The need and importance of Early Childhood Care and Education has been
highlighted by different commissions and committees like (A. Wood Committee1937;
Central Social Welfare Board 1953; Indian Child Education Conference1955; Education
Commission 1964- 66; Committees of Members of Parliament of Education 1967; U.S.
Research and Policy Committee for Economic Development 1971; Sergeant Report 1969;
Central Advisory Board of the Government of India 1944; Britain’s Department of Education
and Science 1976; UNESCO 1974; etc.) and eminent educationists and politicians like
Evans1975; McDonald 1969; Zakir Hussain 1955; Murlidharn 1969. Education Commission
(1964-66) pointed out that early childhood care and education is essential to develop the
child’s physique; good health habits, social attitudes and manners, group participation,
emotional maturity, to encourage aesthetic appreciation, intellectual curiosity, child
independence and curiosity, child independence and creativity.
There are several reasons that emphasize the need for early childhood care and
education for a variety of purposes. Some major reasons are listed here:
1. The fast changing living conditions have also necessitated that adequate
provision be made for early childhood care and education. Under financial
pressure every member of the family seeks job. They need early childhood care
and education institutions where their children can be looked after.
2. Arnold Gesell (1925) began to study the learning habits of young children and
suggested that early childhood education may be as important as any that
follows. He noted that the brain practically reaches its mature bulk before the
age of six and that the mind, character and spirit advance more rapidly during
the formative preschool period than during any other period of growth.
3. The preschool years represent a time of unprecedented growth and
development, when skills are acquired that provide the foundation for all
subsequent learning. That is, the time when teachers can have the greatest
impact upon a child and can reduce the potential effects of environmental
conditions upon a child.
4. Creativity peeks during the preschool years (Torrance 1963; Singh 1989;) and
that creative abilities not nurtured that time can become more difficult to
express later.
5. Early childhood care and education prepares a sound base for primary education,
thus reducing dropouts, wastage and stagnation in primary education (Saxena
1971; Deenamal 1978; UNESCO 1974; Dass and Garg 1985; Lal 1986;)
6. Early childhood care and education serves to fulfill effectively all needs of the
young children-physical, social, emotional, mental, psychological and moral.
Venkataraman 1984; Mohanty 1984;
7. Early Childhood Care and Education gives a child the time and the opportunity to
express his curiosity in questioning, in exploring, in experimenting.
8. Early stimulation and educational enrichment can promote creativity in young
children. It was felt that early educational intervention providing stimulation and
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instruction during the preschool years would make a difference in the children’s
school experience.
9. Early Childhood Care and Education helps to dispel the old belief that early
childhood care and education is injurious to children because it separates them
from their family members, impose structure upon them to early and hinder
freedom and entertainment of the children.
10. Early Childhood Care and Education has changed the attitude of the parents.
Now the parents have positive attitude towards early childhood care and
education. Sarojini (1971) determined the attitude of parents towards early
childhood care and education. The favourable parent’s attitude towards early
childhood care and education was found.
11. Benjamin rare family can provide early training for their young children. The
preschool experience may be speculative for some young children but great bulk
of preschool children would be benefited from early childhood care and
education.
12. From the psychological, sociological and medical point of view early childhood
care and education is important. The role of Early childhood care and education
in mental, physical ,emotional, social, language etc., development and in
germination of readiness for the intellectual activities that will come in later
years is important
13. The early childhood care and education is an arena of play and builds a
foundation for primary education.
14. Rose Mukerji (1965) believes that the early childhood years are the root years for
learning about self in relation to others, for concept formation, for language, and
for creativity.
15. Education like medicine should be preventive and many learning problems in
schools are the result of inappropriate instruction or lack of experiences
necessary to profit from instruction. Thus early recognition of an individual
child’s requirements for learning can preclude many unhappy events during later
years in schools.
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
According to Miss Grace Owing, there are seven objectives of pre-primary education.
Their objectives are:
1. To provide continuous medical supervision.
2. To give opportunity for the development of different interests and skills of various
kinds.
3. To give experience of social life, on a small scale where children work and play
together.
4. To provide a healthy, happy and regular life.
5. To establish real unity between external environment and home life.
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